Uncoiler



June29, 1943. w s JR 2,323,104

. UNGOILER Filed June a, 1942 2 smu -sheet 1 bit Jib/my.

June 29, 1943.

P. H. WASHAM, JR 2,323,104

UNCOILER Filed June 6, 1942 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 NVENTOR amwwne Patented June 29, 1943 OFFICE UNCOILER Patrick Henry Washam, In, Pittsburgh, Pa. Application June a, 1942, Serial No. 446,106

3 Claims. (01. 242-78) This invention relates to machine for supporting coiled strip during the unwinding thereof, and more particularly to those uncoilers whichare used in the uncoiling of strip metal, such as strip steel.

In the manufacture of strip metal, and particularly strip steel, the strip is rolled to considerable length and formed into coils whereby it may be more conveniently handled. These coils are subsequently unwound and the strip subjected to further processing. It is most desirable to employ an uncoiler which holds the coil being paid off on a mandrel or between a pair of opposed cones, whereby the coil-supporting instrumentalities may have associated therewith means for retarding the rotation thereof to {hereby apply back-tension to the coil, and accordingly the strip. Tensional unwinding forces are applied to the strip being uncoiled by the processing means,

such, for example, as a temper-rolling mill, an electrolytic cleaning line, etc., which as such forms no part of the present invention and accordingly is neither shown herein nor described more fully hereinafter. A number of type of uncoiling apparatus have been employed to apply the desired back-tension. In the early prior art, the backtension was provided through the medium of a friction brake. Subsequently there was developed for use. in combination with the uncoiler (comprising the coil-supporting means) apparatus 1 which not only applied the desired back-tension but which converted the forces incident thereto into useful work. As an example, sometimes the apparatus combined with the coil-supporting means took the form of the generator of a motorgenerator set. However, such apparatus is quite expensive.

It is among the objects of the presentinvention to provide a simple and inexpensive uncoiler of the class described'whichestablishe the desired back-tension while converting the force incident thereto into useful work.

Another object is the attainment of the foregoing in such manner as, not to present problems of uneven power requirements, whereby smoothness of operation results. More specifically, the teaching of th present invention include the provision of pumps, such as air compressors, which are mechanically connected with the coil-supporting means, in combination with means for eliminating pulsations which are characteristic of the said pumps.

tion and the annexed drawings setting forth in detail a certain illustrative embodiment of the invention, this being indicative of one of the number. of ways in which the principles of the invention may be employed.

In said drawings:

Figure 1 is a plan of the apparatus of the present invention. a

Figure 2 is an enlarged side elevation, partly in section, and illustrating in considerable detail one-half of the apparatus, the remainder thereof being identical and deleted in the interest; of brevity.

Referring more particularly to the drawings, the numeral 2 designatesa bed which provides a pair of opposed ways 3. As in conventional practice, there is seated on the bed 2 for cooperation with the ways 3 thereof, a pair of opposed traverse heads, as indicated at 4 and I, either or both of which are adapted for reciprocal movement in order to receive and support between them the co l to be paid oil. The traverse heads 4 and I may embody expanding cones which will be more fully described hereinafter, or in view thereof there may be used a mandrel or other coil-supporting instrumentality which as such form no The, invention, then, comprises the features hereinafter fully'described and as particularly pointed out in the claims, the following descrippart of the present invention.

Each of th traverse heads 4 and I carries a superstructure 8, each superstructure comprising a pair of aligned bearings spindle t, the adjacent ends of the said spindles being opposed and carrying in adjacent relationship one with respect to the other anexpanding cone l0 having associated therewith a side-guiding disc I I.

On each side of the transverse vertical center line of the bed 2, and between the opposed ways 3 thereof, there is a pair of aligned bearings ll each pair of which is disposed beneathone of the traverse heads (4 or 5). In each pair of bearings it there is journaled a shaft. i4 having an intermediate screw-threaded portion ll. Becured to the bottom of each of the traverse heads (4 and 5) is a nut I. which, depends downwardly between the opposed ways I and carries anut In each pair of aligned bearings, I there is journaled a rotatable motors 20, move the traverse heads 4 and 5 toward and away from each other, whereby they may engage and disengage the ends of a coil (not shown).

The superstructure 6 of each of the traverse heads 4 and 5 is provided with a pair of aligned bearings 24, the axes of which are below the axes of the respectively adjacent aligned bearings I in which the rotatabl spindles 8 are joumaled. In each pair of aligned bearings 24 there is journaled a shaft 25 which has secured thereto a pinion 26. Each of these pinions 26 is driven from the adjacently disposed rotatable spindle 8 by means of a large driving pinion 21 which is SIB- cured to the latter.

Mounted on the outer end of each of the tra ers heads 4 and 5 is an air compressor or other pump 28, the driving shaft of which is suitably connected to the adjacent shaft 25.

Each of the pumps 28 (i. e., air compressors in the present instance) is provided with a d-ifieren tial pressure control valve 29 which may be used to regulate the volume of air or other fluid to be admitted thereto. Thus the power requirements of the pumps 28 are proportional to the volume of fluid admitted at the inlet of the differential pressure control valves 29, and disregarding friction, the tension in the strip being uncoiled will be a direct function of the fractional opening of the valves; and the energy required to retard the rotation of the coil and produce the desired back-tension in the strip is converted into useful work in the pumps.

The power required to produce the forward tension which pulls thestrip from the coil may be readily indicated in any suitable way, and this indication utilized as a guide for regulating the volume of fluid admitted to the pumps.

As before s'tated,'the teachings of the present invention comprehend the combination with an uncoiling device and a pump (such as an air compressor) of a motor which drives-through the pump and not only eliminates pulsations and therefore provides a smoothing eifect but which also may be utilized'to initiate the payofi of the strip being uncoiled. Accordingly there is mounted on one 'or both of the superstructures 6 (of the traverse heads 4 and 5) a housing-3| carrying a pair of aligned bearings 32 the axes of which are parallel with the axes of the aligned bearings 'l which were earlier described. Within the aligned bearings 32there is journaled a shaft 34 which has secured thereto a pinion 35 which meshes with the driving pinion 21 on the adjacent spindle 8. bly connected to the shaft discontinued, but being geared to the spindle B, the driving shaft is permitted to freely rotate as the coil is unwrapped by the application of the forward tension through the processing line. The rotation of the driving shaft of. the motor 36 provides a smoothing eifect similar to that of a flywheel, which eliminates pulsations at the cones l0 due to the uneven power requirements of the pumps 28 to which they are connected.

,As the traverse heads 4 and 5 (and accordingly the cones II!) have been separated to admit of the insertion therebetween of a new coil, the

motors are operated to return the traverse 34 is the drive sh ft of an adjacently disposed 1 without departing from the scope of the invention,

as defined in the appended claims.

I claim: 1. In a machine for supporting a coiled strip during an uncoiling operation, in combination,

a rotatable coil-engaging means, a pump having a driving connection with said rotatable coilengaging means, and a motor having a driving connection with said rotatable coil-engaging means to effect positive rotation of said coil, said motor also acting as a flywheel to absorb the pulsations of said pump.

2. In a machine for supporting a coiled strip during an uncoiling operation, in combination, opposed rotatable coil-engaging heads each having a generally cylindrical portion for entering a coil and a flat annular portion encircling the generally cylindrical portion for positively engaging the annular end surface of said coil, means for moying said heads toward each other to mutually engage the ends of said coil, a pump having a driving connection with one of said heads, and a motor having a driving connection with the last named head to elfect positive rotation of said coil, saidmotor also acting as a flywheel to absorb the pulsations of said pump.

3. In a machine for supporting a coiled strip during an uncoiling operation, in combination, opposed rotatable coil-engaging heads each having a generally cylindrical portion for entering a coil and a flat annular portion encircling the generally cylindrical portion for positively engaging the annular end surface of a coil, means for moving said heads toward each other to mutually engage the ends of a coil, a pump havin a driving connection with each of said heads, and a motor having a driving connection with one of the driving connections aforesaid to effect positive rotation of said coil, said motor also acting as a flywheel to absorb the pulsations of said pump. V

PATRICK HENRY WASHAM, J a. 

